Family Ties
by Quistiswannabe
Summary: The real past of Seifer and Quistis unfolds... siblings? *Part 1 Complete*


Family Ties:  
  
The Quistis and Seifer Story  
  
(Partial prelude to "What About Me?")  
  
Author's Notes:  
  
*I thought that this would be a neat; a different perspective. Thanks to those interested in it!  
  
*This takes place when Quistis was 10. A year before Seifer and she were sent to the orphanage.  
  
~~I DON'T OWN SQUARESOFT~~  
  
Rated R for Violence, Language, and for stuff later on…  
  
  
  
The small blond girl, petite with fair skin and light blond hair, picked up the small ragged object that had been forcefully projected across the room. The girl, her frightened eyes welling up with tears, held the tattered object close to her chest, hugging it tightly. Her ears were filled with the screams of hate, coming from a tall, sweaty man holding a cracked beer bottle in his left hand. He quickly ran after the small frail girl who was backing up against the wall, yelling "No Daddy! Don't hurt me! I'm sorry! I didn't mean for Dolly to be on the floor. I'm Sorry!" over and over again until she was trapped in the corner of the run-down house. The man, with the strong stench of alcohol reeking of his body, raised his hand, and struck the girl across her face with the glass bottle. At the instant of impact, her pale face began to bruise a purple, and blood began to trickle from her cheek.  
  
As she got ready to scream, the man covered her mouth with his dirty hand. "Quistis don't scream damnit!" He whispered forcefully into her ear. The girl, Quistis, began to fidget, trying to break free of the strong grasp of her father's hand. He used his other hand to hold her neck against the wall, in a chocking position. "Don't move, don't scream, the neighbors will hear and call the cops! They'll take your Mommy and me away. You don't want that do you?" He shook Quistis violently.  
  
Quistis shook her head, the terror in her eyes worsened. She didn't want the cops to take her mother away.  
  
Just then, a flash of light from a car shone through the filthy glass window of the house, pulling into the yard.  
  
"Damnit! It's your mother- go upstairs and wash your face now!" He pushed her toward the stairs, and she ran upstairs into the bathroom. Her father ran to his chair, picking up the endless amount of empty beer cans and bottles, trying to rid of them before his wife came in.  
  
Quistis sat her raggedy doll by the bathtub. She walked over to the mirror, and stared into it, lightly touching her damaged face. She wiped away a tear that was making its way down the one untouched cheek. Quistis grabbed the bar of soap from the side of the dark bathtub and began to scrub her face. The pain of the strike subsided; now it was only a sting. She turned on the faucet and began to splash her face with the constantly cold, iron infested water. As she turned the faucet to the off position, she began to hear more yelling. This time the yelling was not directed at her.  
  
"Where's Quistis! I wanted to give her these." The lady put out her bag and, smiling, showed the new pair of shoes she bought at a yard sale to her husband, Kerone Almasy.  
  
He snatched them away from her hands, and threw them across the room, knocking over a lamp. "What are you doing trying to buy Quistis things she doesn't need, when we need to pay our own bills first? You just wasted money we could have used to get another day of warm water! You stupid bitch! You spoil these kids too much, Ania! " He screamed at the blond, pale woman, raising his hand as if to strike her.  
  
"Well, we would have more money if you would go out and find a job! I can't be the only one working here! And what about you! Spending money we don't have on your stupid alcohol! I thought you quit drinking Kerone! That's wasted more money than my buying 3gil shoes! Did you see Quistis' shoes? The soles are worn through! She needed another pair!" the petite woman retorted, her hands on her hips.  
  
The little blond boy behind Ania clenched on to his mother's coat with his cold hands. His eyes, equally frightened as Quistis', stared into his father's. Kerone gave him a look of death, causing the already terrorized boy to become even more fearful of his so-called father. But, using up all of his courage, he let go of his mother's coat, and stepped up in front to protect her.  
  
"Don't yell at Mommy like that!" the small voice piped up. "You're being mean! Leave her alone!"  
  
"Seifer! Get out of my way, or you'll get hurt too!" Kerone's hand, still raised, was ready to strike Seifer, when Ania caught it just as it was about to strike the boy.  
  
"Don't you dare lay a hand on our children, EVER!" Ania yelled, her eyes piercing like daggers.  
  
The abusive Kerone, dizzy with all of the yelling and the amount of alcohol he consumed, held his head and dropped onto his knees. He began to groan with pain, stroking his temples feverishly. As Kerone was struggling to regain his balance, Ania motioned for Seifer to go upstairs as she mouthed 'Find Quistis.'  
  
Seifer, although wanting to stay and help his mother, did as was told, and ran upstairs to find his sister.  
  
"Quistis! Where are you!" he shouted as he went into the room they both shared. She wasn't there. He tried to open the door to the bathroom, but it was locked. "Quistis! It's Seifer! Open the door; I won't hurt you, please? Mommy wants me to find you!"  
  
He put his ear against the door, and heard a heavy wheezing coming from the other side. "Okay Quisty, I'll stand out here and guard the door for you okay?"  
  
From the other side of the door, he heard a faint whisper of Quistis answer, "Thank you Seifer."  
  
Ania sat her drunk, hung over husband in the broken recliner chair in front of their only possession that still worked, the television set they received when they were married. She turned the channel to one of Kerone's favorites: DCSC- Deling City Sports Channel. Ania walked up the stairs, and found Seifer curled up into a ball, sleeping by the bathroom door. He opened his eyes slowly, and stretched out his hands, followed by a long yawn. "Quisty's in there Mommy, but she won't come out, or let me in. You try!"  
  
Ania knocked lightly on the bathroom door. "Quistis honey, it's Mommy. Would you let me come in?"  
  
Quistis on the other side was frozen in position in the bathtub. Holding her knees with her hands, she shook her head no. "I can't. I don't want to!" She spoke.  
  
Ania rattled the doorknob, trying to open the locked door, but it wouldn't budge. "Seifer, honey? Could you try to use your big muscles to open that door? Mommy's too worn out."  
  
Seifer proudly got up to show his mother how strong he is. He turned the doorknob, and with all of his force, he pushed into the door, causing it to burst open. Ania ran to Quistis, still frozen in the same position, and hugged her terrorized child. Seifer walked over to Quistis. "Are you okay Quisty?" he asked.  
  
Sniffling, she answered "Yea Seifer. Thanks for guarding the door for me." Quistis started to cry. Ania held her close, stroking the blood stained hair away from Quistis' face, revealing the damage. "Oh Quisty! It'll be all right, baby, I won't let Daddy hit you anymore sweetie! Oh, Quistis, darling!"  
  
Seifer walked out of the bathroom, and into the cupboard down the hall for bandage. "Don't worry Quistis, I won't let Daddy hit you anymore either." He swore to himself.  
  
Seifer found the bandage and went back to the bathroom, where the door was closed. He heard the running of the bathtub faucet, and the stench of iron arose. Knowing that Quistis was taking a bath, he set the gauze and tape down on the floor outside, and walked into his room. He climbed up the ladder to the top bunk bed. He stared at the ceiling, thinking of ways to get Quistis and his mother out of the house and away from his "father." But he was too exhausted to think, and fell fast asleep.  
  
Ania gave Quistis fresh clothes to sleep in, and crept down the stairs to get the shoes she bought her daughter. Soundlessly, she picked them up off of the ground and ran them back up the stairs to surprise Quistis.  
  
"Quistis honey, can I have your shoes?" Ania asked Quistis with a solemn expression. Quistis quietly picked up her shoes from the bathroom and handed them to her mother. "You don't need these anymore." Ania smiled and threw the worn out shoes in the wastebasket. Quistis gave her mother a puzzled look. Still smiling, Ania handed Quistis the bag containing her new shoes. Quistis smiled brightly, although it stung to smile, and ran over to give her mother a hug. "Thank you Mommy! I love you!" her mousy voice spoke.  
  
Ania picked up the feather light Quistis and kissed her on the cheek. "I love you too! Now, go give Seifer a hug and a kiss goodnight okay?" She put Quistis down, and Quistis skipped playfully to the bunk beds. She climbed up the ladder and gave her brother a kiss and a big hug. She whispered into his ear, "Thank you Seifer. I love you!" Seifer, woken up by Quistis' strangling hug, answered half-asleep, "I love you too, but don't hug me when I'm asleep! You scared me!" He said smiling lazily.  
  
"I'm sorry Seif. Goodnight!" Quistis climbed down the ladder and went into her own bed, where Ania was ready to tuck her in. Quistis hopped into bed, and received a kiss on her forehead by her mother.  
  
"Goodnight my little angels!" Ania kissed Seifer's forehead, and walked out of the room, turning off the light.  
  
"Goodnight Mommy." They both answered, and quickly drifted off into their peaceful world of slumber.  
  
  
  
  
  
***End of Part 1***  
  
Okay, you may be wondering—how can they be related? Their last names are different! You will find out later;) 


End file.
